What is your favorite genre of music? Do you ever listen to musical comedians? While it might sound different from rock, rap or country, musical comedy takes up an interestingly delightful space in the world of music by combining jokes and humor with songwriting. To sample some of the best comical musicians, check out this list.
1. Ninja Sex Party
As an American musical comedy duo based in Los Angeles, Ninja Sex Party consists of sexbomb YouTube star Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht. With stage names of Danny Sexbang and Ninja Brian, the two have produced seven albums and make up two-thirds of the video game musical trio Starbomb. When it comes to their humorous songs, topics often include sex, seduction, fantasy and love.
2. Tom Lehrer
Before Lonely Island, there was Tom Lehrer. Known for his sharp 1960s commentary in his satirical versions of the era’s popular music, Lehrer used piano and special vocalist styling to soften some of his more controversial political points. With music covering everything from Nazi scientists to censorship, Lehrer is a one-of-a-kind comical musician.
3. Stephen Lynch
Stephen LynchFor a musical comedian with more of an acoustic style, look no further than Stephen Lynch. Using only his guitar, Lynch offers his audiences songs filled with dark humor. Singing about sore subjects like divorce and the reasons why his wife left him, he delivers a hilarious perspective on many of life’s harder moments. His two most famous albums include Little Bit Special and Superhero.
4. Spike Jones
As a studio band percussionist, Spike Jones was popular during the late 1930s after he made the switch from being a regular musician to trying out comedy. Unlike other musicians of the time, Jones integrated wacky instruments and other unique sound effects into his work that set him apart. Out of many songs he created, one of his most famous was a special rendition of “Cocktails for Two” in which he totally changed the sound with horns, bells and percussive sounds.
5. The Smothers Brothers
As another comical duo, the Smother Brothers band consists of Thomas and Richard Smothers who are famous for their folk melodies and sweet harmonies. On the outset, the two may not appear to be comedians, but after listening to a classic like “My Old Man,” the carefully controlled chaos is obvious in the funniest of ways. With songs often featuring outrageous wordplay, the two were popular during the 1960s.
6. Flight of Conchords
For a different style of modern musical comedians, Flight of Conchords is definitely worth a listen. Featuring New Zealanders Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the band sings about all sorts of intriguing topics including robot revolutions, sexual expectations, racist dragons, outer space and romantic relationships. In addition to being a hilarious musical duo, the two also have an HBO series that spotlights many of their novelty songs.
Whether you have had a bad day and need some comical relief or you just want to hear an amazing genre of music, this list of musical comedians offers excellent playlist potential.
